Massive amounts of turkey and mashed potatoes have kept me away from the blog, but I have returned. It was an interesting weekend in the Prem, and the big story has to be Arsenal scoring three goals against Chelsea(though one was an og, the other offsides).Aston Villa drew with Fulham 0-0, as Brad Friedel's 167 consecutive Premiership game set a new record. Villa obviously missed John Carew, as neither Barry nor Sidwell could convert their header chances. Fulham continued their impressive defensive record, with 8 points from their last 4 games, and only two goals conceded during that time. Middlesbrough and Newcastle drew 0-0, with the highlight being an eery fog that crept over the pitch(field). Obafemi Martins hit the bar, but neither keeper had much to keep them busy. Stoke and Hull drew 1-1, after Ricardo Fuller was awarded a phantom penalty. His Jamaican teammate Marlon King scored Hull's only goal, but it was a case of two points lost rather than one point gained for Phil Brown. Bolton defeated Sunderland 4-1, as Bolton continued their climb and Sunderland continued their drop down the table. Cisse opened the scoring, but Matthew Taylor and Gary Cahill scored in a span of four minutes. Johan Elmander is starting to look like a £10 million striker, and hit a brace that put the game away. Sunderland are now in the drop zone thanks to goal differential, and Roy Keane is having problems figuring out his best XI. Sunderland fans are not very forgiving, and if the boos continue there could be problems. Wigan defeated West Brom 2-1, as West Brom continue to prop up the table. West Brom controlled possession and Ishmael Miller opened up the scoring. However an acrobatic goal from Henri Camara, and a vicious header from Emerson Boyce gave Wigan all three points. Mowbray has hinted that he will need to do some shopping in January, but a couple wins on the trot(in a row) would do a lot to help.
Arsenal defeated Chelsea 2-1, to put the Gunners into the top four. Johan Djourou slid to clear a ball, but found his own net. RVP was a yard offside when he fired the ball into the top corner, and three minutes he found the bottom corner for the win. Chelsea could not turn their possession and clever passing into a goal, and their lack of offensive depth was showcased when they brought on 19 year old Miroslav Stoch for the last ten minutes. Stamford Bridge was once a fortress, but they've only gotten a point at home against the rest of the Big 4. Manchester United defeated Man City 1-0 in their own derby match. Rooney was in the right place, and fired home a rebound in the 42nd minute. United dominated, and Van Der Saar wasn't really tested until the end of the match. Ronaldo was correctly sent off for his second yellow, a deliberate handball in the box. Everton defeated Tottenham 1-0 on a deflected Steven Pienaar goal to give Harry Redknapp his first home loss. There were few chances in the game, and both Yakubu and Louis Saha left with serious injuries. Tottenham's midfield did little to help the Pavlyuchenko-Bent partnership, and 'Ansome 'Arry 'Oudini needs Luka Modric/Jermaine Jenas fit. Portsmouth defeated Blackburn 3-2, as Blackburn now sit second from bottom. Portsmouth's Big & Little combination scored, but supersub Matt Derbyshire and the ageless(38) Tugay evened things up. Derbyshire had another goal disallowed, before Sean Davis scored with his first touch of the game. Ince insists the team are ok, but his job may not be.Liverpool and West Ham drew 0-0, probably because Rafa Benitez benched Daniel Agger(he's on my fantasy team). Liverpool is now top of the table, but missed an opportunity to go three points clear of Chelsea with another disappointing home result. Keane obviously missed some easy chances, and Kuyt was also unable to convert.
One Liners
- FA won't take action against Scolari after he calls for ref to apologize, probably cause he was right
- Real Madrid close to signing Huntelaar, the Galacticos are starting to resemble the Dutch National Team
- Wigan look set to sell Emile Heskey in January, not a bad idea considering everyone laughed when they bought him for £5 million
- Kieron Dyer close to full fitness for West Ham, no word yet what injury will rule him out for the rest of the season
- Grimsby Town of League 2 hope to sign Robbie Fowler, don't they know Santa Claus doesn't exist(sorry to any of the younger readers of the blog)
